iDied now iLive
 
Perhaps you visited here after reading one of our cards. I got the idea from the ads and seeing everyone using their iPods everywhere. Listening to music as you go about your day is a way to cocoon yourself in a different world from the one around you. To 'face the music' is a metaphor we use, meaning confronting, or bravely facing, a person or situation you would rather not. But truth is, iPods and music can only give us a temporary escape from reality. For the reality is, every one of us will face the music one day with God. We may try to block out every thought of Him, or every spiritual hunger we have, but in the end, we only leave ourselves empty. Free-will and the Fall God says that He made the world, mankind and everything around us. In fact, He made man a very special part of His creation. Being made like Him gave us the ability to have a meaningful relationship with Him. But, with that ability of free will, we were able to disobey Him and do wrong. Man's breaking of His law in the beginning was an act of deliberate rebellion against His authority, an accusation against God that He was a liar and an attack on His perfect character. Therefore, just as God said, if we sinned we would die, true to His word, God cursed us to die and bear the penalty. One act brought grave consequences for all of us. Not only did we die inwardly, spiritually to God, but we will also face physical death - the destruction of our body to dust. Moreover, the Bible says that when we die, we will then undergo the judgement of God, when all our works, thoughts and words will be examined. The question is, are you ready to face the music with God? Facing the Music Perhaps you think that you are all right and that you have nothing to fear. â€(r)But the reality is, the law utterly condemns each one of us. Jesus said that â€(r)even the commandment which says "You shall not kill" has a far deeper â€(r)application: Even just to be angry with a person is to commit murder in the â€(r)heart. With our thoughts as well as our actions to be weighed, none of us, â€(r)literally, has a hope in hell. But in a way, this was God's intention. Since God's law is a reflection of His â€(r)perfect holy nature, we as fallen human beings could not keep His law. The â€(r)law, which shows us how to live right, clearly reveals our wrong doings. We â€(r)all fall short of God's holiness and are consequently barred from His presence â€(r)and under His wrath as sinners. Judgment does not satisfy God's goodness But though this satisfies God's justice and holiness, it far from satisfies His desire to show grace, love and mercy. Neither did it satisfy God's desire to have a loving relationship with people. And so was born the plan of redemption, God's way of buying people back from the penalty of death by securing His glory, whilst at the same time declaring His goodness. This was the cross of Christ. Let me explain. From the beginning of time, God had a plan - and this plan revolved around His Son. God promised in His scripture, the Bible, that He would send a Deliverer, a Saviour. He was promised from the beginning and pictured in many ways throughout the time of the Old Testament and Israel's history. In fact God brought about the nation of Israel, so that through them both His Law and His Love would be known to all. God Alone can Forgive - but only when the penalty is met In the law, God established the principle that God alone can forgive sins, and that for the guilty to go free from the death penalty, a sinless substitute would take their place. Thus, an animal died to give clothing for Adam and Eve, a ram died as a substitute for Isaac, the passover lamb died, so that Israel's sins would be passed over, and so on. All these things pictured the one final day in which God would provide for Himself a lamb for an offering. The lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world. This special lamb, was not in fact an animal, but a special person. He was God's Son who became a man, thus representing God to man and man to God. He is the great Mediator of the promised covenant between a perfect holy God and a fallen corrupt mankind. Mankind Killed the Saviour - But God Planned it for Good When God's Son came into the world, He took upon himself a perfect human nature and fulfilled the law for us. He lived perfectly and became in Himself the full and final revelation of God to mankind there would ever be. He taught God's ways, cured our illnesses and even raised the dead. But mankind rejected Him, condemned Him to die and cruelly crucified Him on a cross. But in God's wisdom, this was His way of providing a sacrifice for sin, once for all, forever. For it didn't end in the cross. On the third day, Christ came back from the dead, was seen by many witnesses and finally returned to His Father. All this proved that the penalty of sin, death and all it's power, was convincingly broken. The Good News of God's Grace This is the message of Good News that has been changing people the world over since that very day. The Good News, or the Gospel, is that Jesus faced the music for us. He paid the penalty and endured God's wrath for us through His own death. Now, God can freely forgive us our sins - not because He just ignores it - but because He has paid the price for it through the death of His Son. This satisfies both His justice and His love. Now we live in a time which the Bible calls God's grace. During this time, God is calling out of the world a people for Himself by means of a message. And that message is what you have just read. Now, He commands all of us to repent and turn from our wickedness and trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. The promise is for all who call upon Him: YOU can be saved, changed inwardly, given a new life and be blessed with every spiritual gift you need to be right with God. Today is the day to be saved and receive the gift of eternal life, ahead of tomorrow, when you would otherwise face the judgement of God. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, â€(r)that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. â€(r)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, â€(r)but that the world through Him might be saved. â€(r)He who believes in Him is not condemned; â€(r)but He who does not believe is condemned already, â€(r)because He has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." â€(r)John 3:16-18
it’s time to hear the message before you face the music
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